Daniel Mitsui is a treasure of the Church

. . . and he and his family have had a really terrible year. If you were thinking of buying any art prints this year, look here first, and you will help the Mistui family find their way through some of the mountain of medical bills that have piled up.

To give you a taste of his style, here is one of his magnificent drawings:  The Great Battle in Heaven

 

He also offers bookplates and other types of works, including some with secular themes.  Treat yourself by browsing through his galleries, and consider buying something wonderful for your home or parish.

I need a hobby.

I need something that I can do while I’m sitting down in the evening, when my brain is mush and I have nothing good to read and I refuse to think about laundry, but I don’t want to go to bed yet.  Right now, I usually just cruise Facebook. Although this activity often yields some exquisite cultural experiences

PIC Japanese fart warriors

I feel like I could be spending my time better. And I feel like staring at a screen is sucking the soul out of me.  But I don’t want to work or anything.

I used to enjoy quilling, making earrings, that kind of thing.  Embroidery I wasn’t crazy about, and I stink at sewing in general.  Any ideas?

At the Register: Mother Church says, “Yes, you may.”

In which I remind us all that baptism is a beginning, not a trophy for winners; and in which I briefly long for an icon depicting Christ the Sneaker-Upper.

I wish I had worked this in, but do yourself a favor and read Max Lindenman’s short little jewel of an essay, “Catholics Do Not Throw People Away.”

In accordance with the Pants and Reconciliation Commission

. . . I feel that I should acknowledge what has been said about me on This Ain’t the Lyceum, and must disclose the following:

Ah’m a-splurgin’!

That’s what I said in my best Yosemite Sam voice to my daughter, as I grabbed a large bottle of hot sauce off the shelf at the supermarket, rather than our customary medium-sized bottle of hot sauce.  Only problem was, it wasn’t my daughter.  It was some stranger, who moved on quickly.

Anyway, I just went on a bit of a book-buying spree with some Amazon credits you lovely folks helped me earn by buying Amazon items through my link (and if you can’t see the blue ad on the right sidebar, you can find a quick link in the tab at the top of the blog, where it says “Shop Amazon here!“).

It’s mainly my eleven-year-old son who was looking for something to read. I think I may have picked some stuff that was a little young for him, but he will live (and his nine-year-old brother, who prone to settle for comic books, will definitely enjoy these).  Here is what I ordered (note:  the pictures may not neccessarily be from the same edition I’m linking to. I just chose what I thought was the best illustration of the book):

While Mrs. Coverlet Was Away

and Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians

both by Mary Nash.  Both of these are great reads, so weird and funny.  Three siblings, the boy with the complicated conscience, the slightly prissy girl, and the nakedly awful little brother Theobold, nicknamed “The Toad,” find ways to subvert the tender care of their housekeeper, Mrs. Coverlet.  I read these as a kid and they totally held up.  Nice portrayal of realistic sibling relationships.

 

The Great Brain Is Back

by John Fitzgerald.  This is the eighth in the wonderful Great Brain series, and I don’t think we’ve read this one yet. It does not appear to have been illustrated by Mercer Mayer, like the others, which is a shame.  If you’re not familiar with the series, which tells of a Catholic family in Mormon Utah dealing with their intelligent, unscrupulous, money-grubbing son and his gullible younger brother, you should get a hold of them asap.  Great for sneaking in a little history, too.

 

Arabel’s Raven

by Joan Aiken, illustrated by Quentin Blake  Just tons of fun.  I love anything by Joan Aiken.  Here she is just enjoying herself as a storyteller, following the antics of a nice girl and her unreliable pet, with lighthearted stories told in a remarkably sophisticated literary style.  Love how Aiken understands children, but doesn’t talk down to them.

 

Freddy and the Spaceship

by Walter R. Brooks, illustrated by Kurt Weise.  I know I’ve gone on and on about the “Freddy the Pig” series.  We’re slowly working our way through the list, and haven’t hit a dud yet.  Great for reading aloud for all ages.

 

The Odious Ogre

by Norton Juster, illustrated by Jules Feiffer.  Written and illustrated by the same guys who did The Phantom Tollbooth, which my kids loved to death, even though I often had to explain both sides of the puns. I actually heard this book was a bit of a disappointment, but even if it’s not quite as good as tollbooth, that’s still pretty good!  I’ll let you know what we think.

I also ordered a few books for myself:

 

So Brave, Young and Handome

by Leif Enger.  I read Peace Like a River and was blown away.  It’s one of those fascinating writing styles that teeters on the brink of magical preciousness, but never quite topples over the edge, and takes you to some amazing places.  Peace Like a Riverwas so original and captivating, I’m really looking forward to this newish book by Enger.

 

Kristin Lavransdatter III:  The Cross

by Sigrid Undset, translated by Tiina Nunnally.  I will admit that I had only the shakiest grasp on the plot in about 40% of part II.  The politics and the complicated family trees were just beyond me.  But I have the general idea, and I totally got the emotional end of the story, and I gotta find out what happens to Kristin.

So! Thanks again for shopping through my Amazon links and helping me keep our bookshelves overflowing!  What are you reading lately?

7 Quick Takes: When I Was Little

Just for fun, let’s go way, way back to early childhood– say, age five and under.  For reference, I was born in 1974.  Here’s what I remember:

1.  My favorite outfit

I had a dress that was white on the top and knit plaid on the bottom.  It had a breast pocket that was clear plastic so you could see a picture of a lion inside.  It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.  Actually, I’m sure it was hideous and unbearably tacky, but I remember wearing it to Mass, which means my mother must have understood how much I loved it.

I also had not one, but two pairs of corduroy pants that were lined with plaid flannel.  My mother got that at Marsen’s Army Navy Department Store.  I made sure my cuffs were turned up so everyone knew what wonderful pants they were.

 

2.  Favorite disgusting kid food

On Saturdays, we had grinders at our house; which meant that there were leftover grinder rolls on Sundays.  And that meant that we could come home after Mass and sit at the table reading Archie comics and dipping hunks of rolls in orange juice or Coke.  Exquisite!

PIC Pop Tate does not approve.

3.  Earliest memory

I was walking down the front steps, and my big sister, Abby, said, “Way to go, Simmy!”  So I must have been walking with one foot on each step, instead of carefully setting both feet on a step before proceeding down.  I remember thinking something like, “Can’t stop to listen, gotta concentrate” and the zooming away, feeling powerful and brave.

I also remember getting my head stuck under the couch.  Normally, my head would fit under the couch, but I was wearing two pony tails with those plastic ball elastics.

PIC Goody beaded ponytail holders

 

Why don’t they sell those anymore? Those were great.  Unless you are trying to get your head out from under the couch.

 

4.  Biggest fear

Nothing original here. The idea of my parents dying was the worst thing I could imagine.  I remember sitting with my three older sisters, trying to come up with a loving sentiment to put in the newspaper for one of those special Mother’s Day pages.  My contribution was, “Happy Mother’s Day. I hope you don’t die too soon.”

 

5.  Favorite book

Richard Scarry’s Best Storybook Ever

I liked the cartoony stories full of dumb crooks, Lowly Worm, and crazy detailed diagrams of every possible item of clothing a rabbit could own, and such, but I was completely captivated by the more realistic illustrations — the ones of the baby bear who rode on his father’s shoulders, the bunny who shopped in a candy store, the hedgehog who found a perfect apple in the snow and brought it home for his wife.  Gorgeous, and a paradise of warmth and security.

Plus, this book is long.  I felt like I could keep reading it forever and never run out of nice things.

 

6.  Secret desire  

The living room, I thought, would be an earthly paradise if only the floor slanted down from the walls toward the center, and the bottom were covered with pillows and toys, so you could just slide and play, slide and play all day.  (Now that I am an adult, our living room is strangely like this, except it only slants one way, there are apple cores, rolls of toilet paper that the dogs chewed up, broken Christmas ornaments, and missing cell phone chargers mixed in with the pillows and toys.  It does not feel like paradise, per se.)

 

7.  Earliest dream I can remember

I was eating a banana, when he suddenly got mad, became enormous, and ate me.

PIC banana biting man

 

First one to say “Calling Doctor Freud” is out.  (More banana art here.)
Now your turn!

Favorite Outfit
Favorite Disgusting Kid Food
Earliest Memory
Biggest Fear
Favorite Book
Secret Desire
Earliest Dream you can remember 

And don’t forget to check out Conversion Diary for the other Seven Quick Takes.  Happy Friday, everyone!

If you wrote to me and didn’t get an answer . . .

I’m sorry. I’m going through my inbox and am horrified at how many emails  I never answered. I’m trying to respond to everything, but I know I’m going to miss some.  If you have an urgent question, please send another email!  And please don’t be offended. I am making an effort to respond immediately to emails, so they don’t get lost, but there is a lot of plate-spinning here, and I just drop stuff. I just do. Thanks for understanding!

The National Catholic Bioethics Center is kind of amazing

They are a great resource for all kinds of news and information about bioethics, including issues like brain death, use of vaccines, IVF and more.

Here is their pledge:

The National Catholic Bioethics Center believes the Catholic reverence for human life can help shape societal attitudes and public policy for the benefit of all, particularly for those who are weak and vulnerable.

The Center pledges its service to clergy, religious, and laity, especially those in the health care professions, as they face daily ethical challenges in the care and treatment of patients. In light of the convergence of civil law and scientific advancement, the Center also seeks to reach those who influence law and public policy. Indeed, the Center’s mission transcends religious boundaries in its application of ethical reflection consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Magisterium to society-at-large as we grapple with the complex issues posed by the rapid developments in medicine, science, and biotechnology.

The Center also pledges its fidelity to the magisterial teaching of the Church and to the bishops who provide leadership and pastoral guidance to clergy and laity on complex bioethical issues. The Center seeks to facilitate the critical partnership between dioceses and health care institutions in fulfilling their mutual commitment in service to the human person.

Today, I found out that they offer free ethics consultations, 24/7.

The NCBC guarantees that a credentialed ethicist will be available 24/7 to assist you, or any person, with those most difficult moral health care decisions one must make from the beginning to the end of life.

This is a real spiritual work of mercy. If you are inclined to donate to the NCBC, I know they would put your money to good use.  They are providing something so important, as medical technology shoots so far and fast beyond what most people can understand.  No one asked me to plug this! I was just very moved to hear that they offer this service for free.  Good guys.

At the Register: Embarrassment vs. Shame

While I was writing today’s post, I whined on Facebook:

Can’t tell if I’m struggling because I have hold of an important idea that is worth working through, or because I’m tired and stupid and making something out of nothing.

to which the wise and paternal Mark Shea responded:

 Catholics are a both/and people.

Anyway, here it is, the piece I might as well have entitled: PLEASE MISUNDERSTAND ME!  Okay, end of preemtive whine.

This is the stupidest thing I have ever saw.

I do this all the time when I’m alone. I laughed so hard!